Tetra Pak has announced a number of strategic investments in projects aimed at increasing recycling capacity for carton packages in the EU, in turn supporting the targets of the proposed EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
Last year, the packaging giant invested close to €40 million to accelerate beverage carton recycling worldwide, with recent initiatives and investments focused on boosting recycling capacity in the EU, including the non-fibre protective layers of polyethylene and aluminium, known as ‘polyAl'.
In a statement, it said that it is seeking to 'unlock new collaborations' as well as 'strengthen the capabilities of established recyclers to turn all materials from post-consumer cartons into new high-quality resources and goods'.
European Projects
Among its investments, in Sweden, Tetra Pak has partnered with Axjo Group to commence a feasibility study to build a new recycling line for polyAl that will accommodate volumes from Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
In Spain, it has teamed up with Trans Sabater on an initiative to increase installed polyAl recycling capacity from 3,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes per year, as well as joining forces with Alier on an initiative to establish the latter as one of the largest post-consumer carton recyclers in Europe, aiming to recycle more than 15,000 tonnes of polyAI per year by 2025.
Elsewhere, in the Netherlands, Tetra Pak has made an investment in a polyAl recycling plant, operated by Recon Polymers, in a bid to increase the capacity of the facility to at least 8,000 tonnes per year.
'Beyond Industry Investment'
“For us, this goes beyond industry investment," commented Markus Pfanner, vice president sustainability operations at Tetra Pak. "It’s part of the transformation towards a circular economy and an investment in the future of the planet.
"These innovative collaborations, at the intersection of human ingenuity, technology and finance, demonstrate the value of beverage cartons within sustainable food systems.
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